Kirwa Wins 10K, Men and Women Lead After Day One

Thursday, May 14

Tucson, Ariz.

Iowa State

Big 12 Outdoor Championships

Photo by: Jeff Spaur

Kirwa Wins 10K, Men and Women Lead After Day One

05.15.2026 | Track and Field

Web Results Photo Gallery

TUCSON, Arizona – Mercyline Kirwa was crowned the women's 10,000m champion, while both the No. 18 women and No. 24 men lead the standings after the first day of the Big 12 Championships.

Iowa State scored big in the men's 10,000m with three medaling to total 10 points. A pack of four Cyclones ran with the lead pack halfway through, while Sanele Masondo broke away in a top three position as the pace quickened. Masondo raced on to lock up bronze, while Meshack Kimutai took sixth and Robin Kwemoi Bera eighth.

Mercyline Kirwa and Betty Kipkore took to the track next in the 10K, racing in the top four through 5,000m. With just over two laps to go, the duo ran in the top three before Mercyline erupted with a 60-second final lap to take the title downing the 1983 facility record in 34:02.42. Kipkore took bronze in 34:07.53.

Zach Verzani was the first to put Iowa State on the board, posting his highest Big 12 finish taking bronze in the hammer throw. Verzani hit a season best of 212-9 (64.86m) for the finish, just off his PR that ranks second in school history (213-4). Freshman Nathan Rotherham moved onto the final, and just missed out on scoring taking ninth with a PR of 193-6 (58.99m, No. 10 ISU).

Candra King then competed for the women, improving on her school record with 214-0 to stand in second heading into the final. King again topped that mark in the fifth round with 219-10 (67.02m). That would go on to seal the sophomore silver, the second of her career, and move up to rank 14th in the nation. King topped her previous record in three of the six rounds.

In the javelin, Justice Miller scored for ISU securing the bronze medal while hitting a personal best with 223-6 (68.12m). Miller improves his mark at No. 4 in ISU history.

Running events followed, with Emanuel Galdino opening with an automatic qualification into the 1,500m final finishing second in the first heat of prelims (3:45.11). Devan Kipyego also automatically qualified finishing second in his heat in a fight for a top three heat finish (3:51.51).

Alec Carr hurdled himself to a spot in the 400m hurdle final. Carr tied his personal record of 50.89 and took second in his heat to automatically advance.

The multi-events began the day, with Zola N'Douma-Mona starting the heptathlon faster than ever hurdling to second in 100m hurdles time of 13.35, the fifth-fastest time in program history. Maia Denge-Hagen also had a PR with 14.09. N'Douma Mona then took fourth in the high jump clearing 5-8 (1.73m), just off her all-time best and the ISU top 10.

Then came N'Douma-Mona's premier event, the shot put. The freshman once again crossed over 15 meters nearly hitting her PR with 49-4 1/4 (15.04m) winning the event by half a foot while moving into first in the overall standings with a lead of 184 points.

N'Douma Mona finished day one with an all-conditions 200m best of 24.34w to remain in first with a first day total of 3,775, leading by 135 points.

Kole Becker had an outdoor long jump PR of 23-1 1/4 (7.04m) for seventh in the event and moved up to 10th in the decathlon standings after two events.

Before the final decathlon event of day one, Becker competed in the javelin and took 10th with 177-8 (54.15m). Becker went on to close day one with the 400m and tally up a total of 3,742 points through the first five events to stand in 13th.

Day two begins at 1 p.m. CT tomorrow with multi-events.

Team Standings

Men (3 of 21 events scored)

1. Iowa State – 22; 2. K-State – 20; 3. Arizona – 18; 4. BYU – 16; 5. Cincinnati – 14; 6. Oklahoma State – 8; 6. Texas Tech – 8; 8. Houston – 5; 9. Kansas – 4; 10. Colorado – 2; TCU – 0; Arizona State – 0

Women (3 of 21 events scored)

1. Iowa State – 24; 2. Oklahoma State – 21; 3. BYU – 17; 4. Arizona – 13; 5. West Virginia – 11; 6. TCU – 10; 7. Colorado – 6; 8. Cincinnati – 4; 8. Utah – 4; 8. Texas Tech – 4; 11. Kansas – 3; Baylor – 0; Houston – 0; K-State – 0

Iowa State Results

Decathlon 100m (M): 1. Oliver Duffy, Kansas – 10.67; 15. Kole Becker, Iowa State – 11.34

Decathlon Long Jump (M): 1. John Swabik, Kansas – 24-9w (7.54m); 7. Kole Becker, Iowa State – 23-1 1/4 (7.04m)

Decathlon Shot Put (M): 1. Steven Schmidt, Oklahoma State – 44-10 3/4 (13.68m); 7. Kole Becker, Iowa State – 42-9 3/4 (13.05m)

Decathlon High Jump (M): 1. Steven Schmidt, Oklahoma State – 6-9 (2.06m); 12. Kole Becker, Iowa State – 6-2 (1.88m)

Decathlon 400m (M): 1. Chase McMullen, K-State – 47.86; 14. Kole Becker, Iowa State – 51.05

Heptathlon 100m Hurdles (W): 1. Zoey Bonds, BYU – 13.21; 2. Zola N'Douma-Mona, Iowa State – 13.35 (PR, No. 5 ISU); 11. Maia Denge-Hagen, Iowa State – 14.09 (PR)

Heptathlon High Jump (W): 1. Zoey Brinker, K-State – 5-11 1/2 (1.82m); 4. Zola N'Douma-Mona, Iowa State – 5-8 (1.73m); 9. Maia Denge-Hagen, Iowa State – 5-5 3/4 (1.67m)

Heptathlon Shot Put (W): 1. Zola N'Douma-Mona, Iowa State – 49-4 1/4 (15.04m); 21. Maia Denge-Hagen, Iowa State – 31-3 1/4 (9.53m, PR)

Heptathlon 200m (W): 1. Annie Molenhouse, Oklahoma State – 23.53w; 6. Zola N'Douma-Mona, Iowa State – 24.34w; 12. Maia Denge-Hagen, Iowa State – 24.63w

Hammer (M): 1. Orry Willems, Cincinnati – 225-2 (68.65m); 3. Zach Verzani, Iowa State – 212-9 (64.86m); 9. Nathan Rotherham, Iowa State – 193-6 (58.99m, PR, No. 10 ISU); 10. Garret Wagner, Iowa State – 192-0 (58.52m); 17. Lucas Morrison, Iowa State – 180-5 (54.99m)

Hammer (W): 1. Burklie Burton, Oklahoma State – 223-0 (67.99m); 2. Candra King, Iowa State – 219-10 (67.02m, PR, No. 1 ISU)

Javelin (M): 1. Jett Kinder, Arizona – 229-9 (70.02m); 3. Justice Miller, Iowa State – 223-6 (68.12m, PR, No. 4 ISU); 10. Kole Becker, Iowa State – 177-8 (54.15m)

1,500m Prelims (M): 1. Laban Kipkemboi, Oklahoma State – 3:45.11; 2. Emanuel Galdino, Iowa State – 3:45.11; 14. Devan Kipyego, Iowa State – 3:51.51

1,500m Prelims (W): 1. Carmen Alder, BYU – 4:14.08; 14. Bella Heikes, Iowa State – 4:25.21; 18. Riley Beach, Iowa State – 4:28.80; 19. Josie Baker, Iowa State – 4:30.76; 32. Ashlyn Keeney, Iowa State – 4:39.61; 34. Mya Trober, Iowa State – 4:41.98

400m Hurdles Prelims (M): 1. Thomas Canivet, K-State – 50.04; 5. Alec Carr, Iowa State – 50.89 (T-PR, No. 8 ISU)

10,000m (M): 1. Creed Thompson, BYU – 29:20.32; 3. Sanele Masondo, Iowa State – 29:29.53; 6. Meshack Kimutai, Iowa State – 29:40.62; 8. Robin Kwemoi Bera, Iowa State – 29:46.98; 9. Rodgers Kiplimo, Iowa State – 29:57.85; 16. Allen Bonnesen, Iowa State – 31:03.20

10,000m (W): 1. Mercyline Kirwa, Iowa State – 34:02.42; 3. Betty Kipkore, Iowa State – 34:07.53